Wednesday, 21 February 2018

48 Hours At Soho Farmhouse | Travel

Last week my husband and I enjoyed a two night staycation at Soho Farmhouse which is somewhere I have really wanted to visit for years. We don't usually do much over Valentines but when availability came up to stay there it seemed like the perfect excuse for a little romantic getaway!

Set within the Cotswolds in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, Soho Farmhouse is the perfect place to really feel as though you have got away from it all without having to travel too far. From Essex it was only two hours in the car and before we knew it we were there checking in, having our car parked for us and our luggage whisked off to our cabin.

The Cabin

We booked to stay in a Studio Cabin which is absolutely perfect for couples looking for a cosy retreat. Our dedicated Farm Hand Mike drove us to our cabin, stopping to show us some of the main areas on the way, and soon enough we had arrived and I was so excited to get inside to see what would be our home for the next two nights.

Each cabin comes with its own bikes to use throughout your stay which is not only a super fun way to explore the grounds, but also pretty practical as this place is pretty big!

Inside the cabin we had a small kitchen / pantry area which was just so adorable and fully equipped with everything we could need. They'd even left us some freshly baked bread, a couple of bags of granola and some homemade treats. I've also never seen such a fully loaded snack draw before too! We had everything from popcorn, crisps, a variety of nuts and chocolate. Most of which was vegan friendly too.

The main studio area of the cabin was so incredibly comfortable and cosy. We loved having a log burner at the end of our bed and it just seemed to make the whole stay even more relaxing. The cabin also has big glass doors which look out over the countryside and a stream. Luckily for us our cabin was south facing so both evenings we caught amazing sunsets from the comfort of our enormous bed!

I don't think I've ever stayed anywhere before where they have literally thought of everything. The attention to detail here surpasses expectations and there wasn't anything we felt could have been improved or made better. The bathroom was stacked with toiletries and we had lovely fluffy robes and slippers to use throughout the stay. We also had flip flops to take to the spa and pool with us, phone chargers and hair straighteners which you don't usually find in hotel rooms.

Did I mention that the bed was enormous!?? Well we have a super king at home and it was bigger than that. It was the kind of bed that you basically never want to leave!

But I think my favourite part of this cabin has to be the outdoor bathtub! I haven't stayed anywhere before which has an outdoor bathtub which made this stay even more unique and memorable. I decided to make the most of it one evening with a bath bomb and it was just so relaxing and amazing to be outside in the bath listening to the rain and looking up at the stars. It was pure heaven!

Oh and when I said they had thought of everything they really had - we even had wellies to use too! And considering the fact that it rained pretty much the whole time we were there, these got used a lot!

The Grounds

Soho Farmhouse is set within one hundred acres of countryside and the main hotel grounds themselves are pretty big and spread out, hence the bicycles. My husband and I kept saying it's just like staying at a really exclusive version of Centre Parcs! The cabins are all spread out enough so that they feel private and not overlooked and, even though it was fully booked whilst we were there, no one area ever felt busy with people.

The main courtyard is where most of the activity happens and is where the main eating areas are. Everything in this area is just an Instagrammers dream!

There's also a stable yard where you can pay a visit to meet the resident horses and ponies.

I also found their amazing green house on one of our walks which was so lovely to take photos inside. It also really made me want a green house!

The Food

We tried to sample as much of the different food on offer during our stay and I have to say I was overall pretty impressed by the amount of veggie and vegan options available, and their commitment to cater for all. My husband has a walnut allergy and they were so on top of making sure what he was eating was suitable. The service was impressive!

A real highlight of our stay was the breakfast float. We had booked this to arrive outside our cabin on Valentines Day morning and it was is much fun having our breakfast cooked for us right outside our cabin so we could then enjoy it in the comfort of our room. The chef was super accommodating in cooking me up a vegan friendly breakfast and he got us a little bottle of soya milk for our tea. No requests were too much for them which was so refreshing!

On our first evening we were enjoying our cabin so much that we cancelled our dinner reservations in the main restaurant and decided to order in room service. I had the vegan main which was a lovely roasted celeriac dish with a side of greens and roast parsnip. And for pudding I enjoyed a really yummy vegan chocolate mousse with berry sorbet.

One afternoon we grabbed some lunch in the Deli which is a relaxed farm shop kind of cafe and we enjoyed some avocado on sourdough toast which was just what I needed. They also had a great selection of salads and juices in there.

We also ate at their resident Japanese restaurant Pen Yen on Valentines Day which was such a treat. It was impossible to get any photos because it was so dark in there and they're also quite strict about taking photos in main areas. However, the food was incredible and it was probably my favourite meal of our entire stay. They had plenty of vegan friendly options on the menu including sushi rolls, baked aubergine, tofu buns and lots of vegetable sides. If you stay here you must eat at this restaurant!

The Activities

Throughout our entire stay it was a difficult balance between wanting to explore everything that was on offer and also just staying in our cosy cabin! I think in the end we managed to enjoy a bit of everything and plenty of time relaxing too. I would also say two nights was probably the perfect amount of time for first timers like us who wanted to achieve that balance. I don't think one night would have felt enough at all.

As already mentioned it rained a lot during our stay which did limit when we could do certain things but with our wellies on and umbrellas in tow we definitely got outside and made the most of everything. The bikes were a real fun addition to our stay and we really enjoyed cycling around the grounds and to different places.

There's also horse riding for anyone who enjoys that. Personally I refrain from horse riding since having a bad fall from one when I was a teenager and I'm also unsure where I stand on it in terms of ethics.

For us the pool and spa areas were a main draw, especially as I had been unwell in the lead up to this break. All I wanted to do was relax really and help myself to feel rejuvenated again! Soho Farmhouse have an indoor and outdoor heated pool which we took a dip in on our first evening. They also have a spa area which includes outdoor hot tubs, steam and sauna rooms.

Prior to this trip I hadn't treated myself to any kind of spa treatment for a long time so I took this opportunity to book myself in for a facial and massage. Again, this was just what the doctor ordered after feeling so rough with tonsillitis and afterwards I just felt like new. My husband couldn't stop commenting on how fresh my skin looked! If you're looking for a really relaxing stay I would definitely recommend incorporating some treatments into your time there.

As well as all of that there is also the on site Electic Cinema which is situated within a big barn building. I had initially booked us in to see a film there but in the end the one we had wanted to see wasn't showing and so we cancelled it in favour of watching one of the many movies available in our cabin. I did feel a bit sad that we didn't get to do this but at the same time I kind of felt it was only worthwhile if it was a film we wanted to see.

On our final morning at Soho Farmhouse the sun was shining and so we jumped out of bed early to get outside and enjoy some of the activities we hadn't been able to in the rain. This included a play on the crazy golf course and my husband somehow convinced me to go in the rowing boat with him! This was really fun but at one point I was convinced I was going to end up in the frosty water!

The Service

I think one of the main things we both took away from our stay at Soho Farmhouse was the impeccable service. I really don't think we have stayed anywhere before with such amazing service and attention to detail. Little things like parking our car for us and ensuring that our luggage was already in our room for our arrival was just so appreciated. When our car was bought back to us on checking out they had even cleaned it!

All in all we had one of the best staycations, if not the best, we have ever had. Neither of us wanted to leave when it came to departure day and we are already talking about possible return visits in the near future. It was also so good to learn that dog friendly cabins are available and I know our three would just love to come on a little getaway with us here. I am already chomping at the bit to go back!

If you'd like to see more of our stay at Soho Farmhouse be sure to head over to my Instagram where I saved some stories to my highlights. I have also uploaded a cabin tour video which is a must see!